Metro Transit Police will start wearing body-worn cameras in a new program being rolled out starting in April.
The plan is to begin the program in stages, with all Metro transit officers, sergeants and lieutenants to start wearing the cameras in the “coming months.” According to Metro, there will be a total of 315 Metro officers wearing body-word cameras by the end of the summer.
The first officers to be equipped with the new cameras is a group of two dozen in the Metro Transit Police Special Response Team and Tactical Operations Unit.
“At Metro, we are committed to the safety and security of our customers, our employees, and our officers. I am confident that the new body-worn camera program will continue to build trust and confidence in the department’s work,” Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Anzallo said in a statement.
“The research, data, and feedback we’ve gathered from similar programs in the region have provided us with important insights that will strengthen the rollout of this important safety tool and enhance the overall success of our program.”
Metro said at the beginning of any recording, officers will be required to “inform individuals that the audio and video of the situation is being recorded by the officer’s body-worn camera.”
In June, the Department of Justice granted $905,000 in funding to the Metro Transit Police Department to launch the body camera program.
Metro said the cameras will help to “supplement” the more than 20,000 cameras already in use in the Metro system.
